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By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online
To refer by e-mail to this file use "bermuda-online.org/kemh" as your Subject
See also Bermuda's Health Support Groups by the same author.
Bermuda is the only country in the world where the residents and visitors pay not once but three times for hospital and medical services. In the USA, where hospitals are privately financed built and operated, patients pay for all services they use. In Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, etc. the great majority of hospitals are financed by taxpayers with hospital and medical services included in the taxes paid. But in Bermuda, taxpayers pay first for the building and operating costs as part of their taxes; again in hospital fees and services they use on an as-needed basis; and also in the health or major medical insurances they all must pay by law to either the government or to private and local insurance companies.
Staff at the two hospitals number over 1500. Bermuda has audiologists, chiropodists, chiropractors, dentists, dental technicians, dieticians, medical doctors. There are also emergency medial technicians, medical laboratory technologists, midwives, nurses with SRN status or equivalent or enrolled, occupational therapists, optometrists and opticians, dispensing opticians, pharmacies, pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers and speech-language therapists. Under the Nurses Act 1969, all nurses, whether registered (SRN or equivalent) or enrolled, are required to renew their licenses on an annual basis. The Medical Program at KEMH has an Annual Review and Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the Bermuda-based prominent international corporation Merck Sharpe and Dohme. It provides thousands of dollars a year in awards as part of a commitment to Continuing Medical Education at KEMH.
King
Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH)The main hospital, it is Bermuda Government owned and operated. Point Finger Road, Paget Parish DV 04, Bermuda. Postal address P. O. Box HM 444, Hamilton HM BX. Phone (441) 236-2345. Fax (441) 236-2213. KEMH is operated by the Bermuda Ministry of Health and Family Services, via the Bermuda Government-appointed Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB). It is an Associate of the American Hospital Association. It has been accredited since 1972 by Accreditation Canada, formerly the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, but does not appear on the latter's website.
The hospital's current life will come to an end in 2012, and plans to build a new one at the nearby Botanical Gardens were dropped after angry protests. The plan now is to rebuild the 40-year-old hospital in phases at the existing site, with ground to be broken in late 2010 and the new hospital to open by 2014. Of all the challenges facing healthcare in Bermuda, one of the biggest will be dealing with the ageing hospital which has been the subject of "devastating" reports from independent consultants. Recent reports into the health condition of KEMH have been made by experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine International and management consultants Kurron Shares, both of the USA. Legal advisors have been appointed to guide King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) through planned $315 million upgrade. The project will be achieved through a public-private partnership (PPP). The private partner, which has yet to be announced, will pay around $260 million, with the rest footed by the BHB. In April 2009 the BHB announced the legal advisors are Davis LLP, appointed by the BHB to oversee the PPP following a "competitive procurement process. " The BHB noted that seven legal advisory firms from the UK and North America, all with extensive PPP experience and significant health care PPP experience, were invited to respond to BHB's invitation to submit qualifications. Davis LLP is a leading Canadian law firm that specializes in major infrastructure projects and public private partnerships. The rebuilding work is the first phase of a wider 25-year plan to bring KEMH up to modern standards.
In July 2009 three local firms won contracts to work on the $315 million redevelopment of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Conyers & Associates, OnSite Engineering and Bermuda-Caribbean Engineering Consultants were selected as technical advisers to the project. The companies were picked after a competitive selection process. BHB deputy CEO Venetta Symonds stated: "These firms bring significant local knowledge regarding planning, design, engineering and construction to the project and are vital to creating output specifications that take Bermuda's unique conditions into account." The technical advisory team will help draw up a request for proposal (RFP) for companies bidding to design the new acute care hospital facilities in Paget. BHB said the redevelopment project which is "being funded through a public-private partnership" was on schedule. A preferred designer will be chosen by summer 2010.
In late April 2009 the Mott MacDonald Group was appointed as clinical advisers for the redevelopment of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. BHB staff and Mott McDonald will form a Clinical Advisory Team, while input will be sought from patient groups, healthcare agencies and professionals.
In
the event of an emergency air evacuation from Bermuda to the USA or Canada, for
medical services that cannot be performed in Bermuda, Bermuda Air Medivac Ltd
is the operator of Bermuda's only emergency aircraft.
A well-known philanthropist, David Barber, donated $2
million in 2005, in memory of his wife Mary, to buy an 11-seater jet for the
company. Before
the initiative, those critically injured or seriously ill had to wait for air
ambulances based in the United States and Canada to fly to Bermuda and transport
them off the Island.
In July 2008 three doctors arrived on the Island to staff a new programme aimed at improving standards at the hospital. As well as the three doctors, the Hospitalist Program, directed by a Bermudian doctor, began on July 16, 2008. The idea behind the program, said to be employed in some hospitals the United States and Europe, is to have trained internists available to admit and attend to patients in the hospital. Currently, patients are seen initially by house officers who are doctors-in-training for their screening before their general practitioners are called. Patients will either be screened by their doctors or the internists when they enter the hospital. The program is intended to increase the supervision and assist the house officers in the care of the patients. When patients are admitted into the hospital they will be asked whether or not they want to use their GP or the hospitalist. If they want to use their GP the hospitalist will still do the admitting, but can then transfer the patient to their doctor's supervision while they are in the hospital. It is hoped the program will improve care and decrease the length of stay in the hospital. It will provide patients with a hospital physician who is responsible for their care while they are in the hospital. The hospitalist is expected to work very closely with GPs and remain in regular communication with them. However, the patients would have around the clock physician coverage which will help standardize the level of care currently received.
Services include:
Scanner. In 2009 The Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda allocated $500,000 toward Bermuda Hospitals Board's purchase of a new 64-slice CT scanner.
The scanner, which has four times as many detectors as a typical single slice CT scanner, combines unequalled image quality with remarkable speed. It can produce detailed pictures of any organ in a few seconds and provides sharp, clear, three-dimensional images, including views of blood vessels, in an instant. Introduction of the 64-slice CT scanner at the hospital will extend over the 2009/10 fiscal year, as it will require renovations in the CT area, along with the addition of a digital image archiving system, needed to manage the vast number of images produced by the new equipment.44 Devon Spring Road, Devonshire FL01. P. O. Box DV 501, Devonshire DV BX. Phone (441) 236-3770, fax (441) 235-9383. Also Bermuda Government owned and operated. It includes a detoxification unit, 8-bed. At the Turning Point Center.
This applies to Medicine and Professions supplementary to
Medicine. Also, in addition to
whatever registration employees are required to have to obtain or retain
their accreditation overseas, registration in Bermuda in the appropriate discipline
must be obtained before practice is permitted locally, whether at the
Bermuda Government-owned hospitals hospitals or in private practice. This applies to
a wide range of specialists including Addictions Counseling; Audiology; Chiropody; Diagnostic Imaging
technology; Dental Hygienists; Dental
Practitioners; Dental Technicians; Dietetics; Emergency Medical
Technicians; Medical Laboratory technologists; Midwives; Occupational Therapy;
Optometrists and Opticians; Pharmacies; Pharmacists;
Physiotherapy; Radiography; Specialist Diagnostic Imaging technology;
Speech-Language Pathology.
To better regulate health professionals, there are now powers to suspend or bar people for misconduct. The Professions Supplementary to Medicine Amendment Act 2006 , enacted by the Bermuda legislature, ensures practitioners are competent and stay up to date with the latest techniques and that there are more teeth for dealing with complaints. The primary purpose is to ensure they meet established standards of education, training and professional conduct and are educated about new procedures that come along. Covering such professional categories such as physiotherapist, occupational therapist and diagnostic imaging the Act establishes a Council for Allied Health Professionals to promote patient interests and exercise discipline over practitioners. A Preliminary Proceedings Committee has been set up to investigate complaints – serious complaints will then be referred to a Professional Conduct Committee which can hand out fines of up to $2,000, suspend a person’s registration for a year or even bar them from practicing.
Only persons on their respective registers are recognized to practice in Bermuda. All involved who need or want further details about registration should contact the Administrative Assistant to the Council, Ministry of Health and Family Services, P. O. Box HM 1195, Hamilton or telephone (441) 236-0224 extension 3441.
| Age Concern Bermuda | Bermuda-registered charity # 137. 25 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04, Bermuda. P. O. Box HM 2397, Hamilton HM JX, Bermuda. Telephone (441) 238-7525. Fax (441) 238-7177. E-mail info@AgeConcern.bm. Claudette Fleming, Executive Director. Open to the public 9 am-4 pm Monday-Friday. Not part of Age Concern in UK and not offering the services they do. Most of the income from this entity is from the corporate private sector, Bermuda Government and some individuals. Income goes to operating expenses. It communicates its work and networking capabilities through conferences, forums, newsletters, supplements. It operates at the systems level, not necessarily the individual level. It is a 'connector' and 'watchdog' group not a direct service provider, an administrative body, considering long term needs for Bermuda. It is engaged in public speaking, advocacy and a lot of report writing to government and those who fund it. There is an annual membership fee to individuals. |
| Bermuda Council on Ageing | Since late 2006. Charged with coercing Government to implement strategies necessary to protect one the island’s fastest growing demographics. The Department of Statistics estimates the over-65 population will reach 22 percent by 2030 – double the amount of the 2000 Census. So one of the most crucial roles for the Council is preparing the country for an onslaught of elderly care giving – at home and in assisted living facilities. |
| Bermuda Dental Association | |
| Bermuda Dental Board | See Bermuda Government Boards. P. O. Box HM 2748, Hamilton HM LX. Phone 295-8233. |
| Bermuda Health Alliance | Suite 200, 40 Par La Ville Road, Hamilton HM 11. Telephone (441) 296-2875. A cooperative venture of the Bermuda Diabetes Association, Bermuda Hospitals Board, Bermuda Heart Foundation, Friends of Hospice, Resident's Family Council and Hospitals Auxiliary. Registered charity. |
| Bermuda Health Care Consortium | Founded September 20, 2002. Chairman Mark Selley. Founded to help bring much-needed long-term insurance and other pressing needs to Bermudians and residents presently without the type of coverage or financial and other support services common in other developed countries. Call Chairman at "Ship's Bow," 4 Keith Hall Road, Warwick WK 06, phone 236-0037 |
| Bermuda Health Council | A Bermuda Government appointed entity. Established as an official health watchdog. Responsible for regulating, coordinating and enhancing the delivery of health services in Bermuda. Made up of doctors, insurers, hospital officials and patients. Also responsible for regulating the price of drugs sold to the public and conducting research on the subject of public health. |
| Bermuda Health Foundation | Owned and operated by Murray Brown, Philip Butterfield, Dr. Vincent Bridgewater and Dr. Ewart Brown |
| Bermuda Heart Foundation | For coronary incidence, treatment and prevention. P. O. Box HM 1993, Hamilton, HM HX. Telephone (441) 295 3346. Fax: (441) 295-5371. A registered charity, 1996. Unlike most support groups, it is a major player in arranging the funding for critically important life saving heart related equipment for the hospital and is supported by health professionals of the highest reputation in every relevant field. It has no paid employees. Board meetings are on the 3rd Thursday each month. Board of Directors include Dr. Shane Marshall, MD, FRCPC. Goals are equipment, building, direct services, education. |
| Bermuda Hospitals Board | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust (BHCT) | P. O. Box HM 444, Hamilton HM BX. Executive Director is Wendy Augustus at e-mail wendya@bhct.bm. An independent organization founded as the formal charitable arm for accepting donations and fundraising on behalf of the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB). As a Trust, BHCT is an entirely separate entity from the BHB and Ministry of Health. It is governed by its own Board of Trustees who determine policy and are responsible for its own sound fiscal management. |
| Bermuda Medical Association (BMA) | 75 Victoria Street, Hamilton. An association of all medical doctors in practice in Bermuda. |
| Bermuda Medical Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Bermuda Medical Society | King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Point Finger Road, Paget. An association of all medical doctors in practice in Bermuda. All doctors in the heath care profession in Bermuda must be members. |
| Bermuda Nurses Association | Patrice Dill at (441) 236-3770 extension 3254. A registered charity and active organization that celebrates the annual Nurses Week theme with community wide activities, free blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol screening. Under the Nurses Act 1997, all nurses whether registered or enrolled must renew their licenses on an annual basis and pay dues each year. |
| Bermuda Nursing Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Bermuda Occupational Therapists Association | See web site. |
| Bermuda Organ and Tissue Donor Association | For more information, call KEMH at 236-2345. Welcomes those willing to become donors. In association with the New England Organ Bank. |
| Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association (BPA) | All Bermuda pharmacies must be licensed members. |
| Bermuda Psychologists Registration Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Bermuda Stroke & Family Support Association | The
Association meets on the third Wednesday night each month at 7 pm at
King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Telephone D. Mark Selley, Chairman,
at 293-3121. Or write to him at "Seven Seas" #6 Rock Garden
Lane, Harrington Hundreds Road, Smiths FL04, Bermuda. Phone 293-3121 or
cell 334-8487. Or phone Hilary Soares 236-4187; Ann Selley
295-3764; Hazel Lowe 236-0407; Moira Lindo 294-7613. RC 361.
Support, help, advice, encouragement, to assist Bermudian and Bermuda-based stroke survivors of all ages and backgrounds and families affected by stroke. Has no membership dues, takes no minutes, has no structured agenda or board of management. Strokes, more than any other medical problems, cause permanent chronic disabilities. Stroke identification - how to identify signs of a stroke - may be crucial. Getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then having the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough, can make the difference between life and death. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking simple questions, or looking carefully. Can the person smile? Is the face crooked or normal? Can he/she talk and speak a simple sentence coherently? ( For example, it is sunny out, today). Speech is important. Can he/she raise both arms? Can he/she stick out their tongue? If the tongue is crooked or goes to one side or another, it's another cause for concern. If he/she has trouble with any one of these four questions, call the doctor or hospital or emergency service immediately and describe the symptoms. Older adults often do not realize or may even forget they have had a stroke and may not be a reliable source of medical information, US researchers said in May 2009. Brain scans showed that while just 12 percent of seniors asked about strokes remembered having had one, nearly a third had brain damage showing they had. (Permanent brain damage results from a stroke). The stroke itself could damage memory, and many people may also have so-called silent strokes that are never diagnosed at the time. Stroke is associated with motor impairment but can also be accompanied by impairments in memory, sensation and speech or language, diminishing the ability of an individual to accurately report a history of stroke. Researchers who want to study strokes in adults young and old need to rely on MRI scans, and not patients, to get accurate information about stroke history. 50% of all strokes occur in people who have no prior symptoms. Strokes are a leading cause of severe permanent disability and death. People never recover fully from strokes, their limbs or brain or heart are often permanently affected. Some hospitals (unfortunately not in Bermuda) or private health systems (such as LifeLineScreening.co.uk) offer ultrasound screenings that can identify risk of strokes. Screenings are fast, painless, accurate and often affordable, involving four tests. Test 1 is stroke carotid artery screening. Test 2 is atrial fibrillation screening. Test 3 is abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening. Test 4 is peripheral arterial disease (PAD) screening. |
| Bermuda Tuberculosis, Cancer & Health Association | 46 Point Finger Road, Paget. P. O. Box HM 1652, Hamilton HM FX. Phone 236-0949. Website tbcancer.bm. RC 070. Since 1945, founded to assist patients fighting TB. It educates the community about prevention and early detection of cancer. It conducts 75% of all mammograms. It educates and supports diabetic and ostomy patients. It provides storage of all X-ray and related health-condition films required from non-Bermudians by Immigration. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Bermuda, and the island has a higher cancer mortality rate when compared to the United States, one of the disturbing findings of the (released in 2006) 2004 Cancer in Bermuda Study. The co-author of the study, Dr. Frederic Dellaire, said the study compared the incidence of cancer in Bermuda and in the United States. Bermuda had a 45 percent higher mortality rate for all cancer sites than the US and the mortality for prostrate cancer was 2.65 times higher in Bermuda despite a comparable incidence rate. Some other key findings of the report were: 25 percent of all deaths in Bermuda were attributed to cancer. Cancer rates in white women were found to be higher in Bermuda. In whites, the specific cancer types that had a higher rate in Bermuda when compared to the United States included; oral cavity cancer, melanoma, colorectal cancer (in females) and breast cancer. In blacks, the specific cancer types that had a higher rate in Bermuda when compared to the United States included: oral cavity cancer (in males), and ovarian cancer. Lung and colorectal cancers had lower rates in blacks from Bermuda when compared to blacks from the US. Recognized risk factors for oral cavity cancer are tobacco use, alcohol consumption and a diet poor in fruits and vegetables. The most common types of cancer in Bermuda include (in descending order) prostate, breast, colon and rectum, lung and bronchus, and skin. |
| Board of Chiropodists | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Dietitians | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Medical Laboratory Technologists | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Occupational Therapists | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Physiotherapists | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Radiographers | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Board of Speech Therapists | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Council for Allied Health Professionals | Established in 2006, it promote patient interests and exercise discipline over practitioners. It has a Preliminary Proceedings Committee, set up to investigate complaints – with serious complaints referred to a Professional Conduct Committee which can hand out fines of up to $2,000, suspend a person’s registration for a year or even bar them from practising. |
| Diabetes Resource Centre | Beacon House, Beacon Street, Hamilton. People can get their blood sugar tested and pick up supplies of insulin and syringes here, while patients without adequate insurance coverage can get financial assistance from Bermuda Diabetes Association. Visitors can also read publications related to diabetes, while bi-monthly foot screenings are available by a podiatrist. Support for the project has come from Allied World Assurance, Butterworth Associates, XL, the Bermuda Society for the Blind and the Corporation of Hamilton. The Long Riders Motorcycle Club's 48-hour ride for diabetes last year raised $18,000 towards costs. The dispensary is open from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Private consultations may be arranged in weekday afternoons. Telephone 297-8427 or 29-SUGAR for more information. |
| Government Employees (Health Insurance) Appeals Tribunal | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Government Employees (Health Insurance) Management Committee | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Health & Safety Advisory Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Hospital Insurance Commission | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Medical Practitioners | A register of names of doctors under Section 6 (2) of the Medical Practitioners Act 1950 is maintained by the Bermuda Medical Society and Bermuda Hospitals Board. It is in the order in which they were registered in Bermuda. |
| Medical Reference Committee | A Bermuda Government committee under the Motor Car Act 1951 to determine the fitness or otherwise of licensed Bermuda drivers, especially those over 75 years old. See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Mental Health Review Tribunal | Bermuda Government appointed under the Mental Health Act 1968. See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| National Drug Commission | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Optometrists and Opticians Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Professions Supplementary to Medicine Council | See Bermuda Government Boards. |
| Register of Audiologists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973. A full list is published annually. |
| Register of Chiropodists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Dental Hygienists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Dental Hygienists Regulations 1950. A full list every year. |
| Register of Dental Technicians | Bermuda Government maintained under Regulations 2(b) of the Dental Technicians Regulations 1950. A full list every year. |
| Register of Dental Practitioners | Bermuda Government maintained under the Dental Practitioners Act 2008, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. The new act amends the Dental Practitioners1950 act which had no provision for registering dental hygienists and assistants. The act also requires dentists, hygienists and assistants to have continuing education to remain registered, have a professional conduct committee with mandatory reporting of impaired practitioners, a report annually and more. The Board increased from five to seven members with the senior Government dental officer becoming an ex officio member. The Bermuda Dental Association and Bermuda Dental Hygiene Association will be allowed to nominate members for the Minister to appoint, similar to other medical boards. |
| Register of Dieticians | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Emergency Medical Technicians | Bermuda Government maintained, registered with the office of the Chief Medical Officer. Some are Bermuda Hospitals Board, others are Bermuda Fire Service. A full list every year. |
| Register of Medical Laboratory Technologists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Medical Practitioners | Bermuda Government maintained under Section 6 (2) of the Medical Practitioners Act 1950, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Midwives | Bermuda Government maintained under Section 6 (2) of the Midwives Act 1949, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Occupational Therapists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Optometrists & Opticians | Bermuda Government maintained under Section 4 Part III of the Optometrists and Opticians Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Pharmacies | Bermuda Government maintained under Part IV Section 17(4) of the Pharmacy & Poisons Act 1979, in alphabetical order. A full list every year. |
| Register of Pharmacists | In accordance with Section 7 (4) of the Pharmacy & Poisons Act 1979. It shows every currently licensed pharmacist - Bermudian and non-Bermudian - by full first, middle and last name and the year, day and month when entered in the register. |
| Register of Physiotherapists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Psychologists | Registrar General, Section 8, Psychological Practitioners Act 1998. A full list every year. |
| Register of Radiographers | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Register of Speech-Language Therapists | Bermuda Government maintained under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1973, not in alphabetical order but in order of day of registration so that those earliest currently registered are first and the most recent are last. A full list every year. |
| Standing Medical Board | Pension and Gratuities (War Service) Act 1947. All surviving beneficiaries of such pensions are senior citizens. |
Some accommodation is available for incoming non-Bermudian doctors and nurses. Incomers to Bermuda, the second most wealthy place in the world according to the World Bank, should confirm before they sign any contracts that terms and conditions of service generally are comparable and equivalent in accommodation, length of service, upward mobility, salaries, benefits and airfares to those offered in American, Australian, Canadian, Cayman Islands, European and New Zealand hospitals. At all such places abroad, for academically and professionally qualified staff standard attractions and contracts include all local Board of Nursing or MD-certified or equivalent fees paid, accommodation (one-bedroom or more) for up to three months, round-trip air fares once every year or two, transportation for up to three months, good accommodation and living conditions and a sign-on bonus.
There is no reciprocal hospitalization or healthcare plan with any other country.
In March 2008, Bermuda's Members of Parliament approved a 7.5 percent rise in hospital fees for the second year running, under the
Bermuda Hospitals Board (Hospital Fees) Regulations 2008 which came into effect on April 1. The fee increase was recommended by Bermuda Health Council and was partly to enable the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) to pay for the five-year management services contract it entered into with US firm Kurron Shares in 2007. The last increase, also of 7.5%, was a year earlier when it was claimed the rise would give King Edward VII Memorial Hospital greater financial stability and allow it to plan and develop strategies to improve patient care. In 2007 Former Opposition Leader Grant Gibbon said there had been a 70 percent increase in standard premiums in the past five years. Overall, with the new fees in 2007, while residents pay a somewhat lower rate than visitors, rates are now about 25% higher than they are in a similar-sized community hospital in the USASurgical, medical and dental rates are extra and are covered in the Bermuda Hospitals Board (Medical and Dental Charges) Amendment Order. Non-residents should pay for medical services, then claim on their overseas insurance. Canadians and Britons used to National Health will find local services very costly, sometimes with only a small amount of the total bill in Bermuda paid by the British or Canadian systems.
Once, the hospital system was private sector. At that time, it was supported by charity with the efforts of visitors like Mark Twain and British Army then in Bermuda. Today, the costs to all who need the hospitals of Bermuda are not included in national direct and indirect taxes as they are in Canada and the United Kingdom. There is no national health plan in Bermuda. Local taxpayers and visitors pay for hospitalization and related services in several concurrent ways:
Prudent visitors will bring spare money in US Dollars, travel insurance and health insurance to cope with possible unexpected problems including accommodation in an emergency medical situation or a death. Visitors from the United Kingdom should note that the National Health Service of the UK does not apply at all in Bermuda. Nor does it have an equivalent. Medical costs here are as high as, often higher than, those in the USA. Affordable accommodation in Bermuda for such emergencies, especially from April to November, is extremely difficult to find. Every week, visitors suffer emergencies. Many say they do not make any contingency or emergency plans. They claim they have no money and no health and travel insurance for unexpected problems. (When locals go the USA and elsewhere, on cruises or by air, they must either have such a plan or be prepared to pay full medical costs themselves).
In Bermuda, There is no insurance coverage for birth control, only for abortions in certain approved circumstances.
There is no Long Term Health Care Insurance offered at all by local insurance companies and those international insurance companies incorporated in Bermuda offering it in other countries even when their home offices are, for example, in the USA, are not allowed by law to offer it in Bermuda. Many residents, whose major medical insurance through their employers stops, if they had it at all, when they reach 65, have had to spend many thousands of dollars of their own money overseas, with no insurance. Visitors who come on vacation or to see family or friends should be aware in advance that they are not entitled to any local health insurance employer-provided employee coverage or benefits. Not covered are services like ambulance fees, x-rays, doctors' consultations and reports, etc. Check whether the hospital will recognize any insurance plans not operated in Bermuda. It may do so, up to a point, for people from the USA with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance.
A recent health report - the Bermuda Government's Adult Wellness Report - showed that
One in three islanders are obese, caused in part by unsatisfactory working conditions - bad air, excessive heat or cold, poor work space, long periods of standing or sitting - cause stress which leads to drink and drug abuse, heart disease and obesity.
12 percent abuse alcohol
The six most frequent health problems are allergies, asthma, migraine headaches, tension headaches, depression and anemia. (But all this is contradicted by reports showing heart attacks and strokes as leading causes of death)
Top health concern is AIDS and sexual diseases, with 52 percent tested for HIV. 55 percent say they receive no education or information from their doctor on sexual practices or family planning.
30 percent of adults use prescription medicines every day
90 percent of women 40 and over have had a mammogram
95 percent of women 40 and over have had a pap smear
60 percent of men 40 and over have had a prostate exam
For people who have to live with disabilities or problems or both, their immediate caregivers and too often for survivors, including family, friends, co-workers or classmates, a strong support network is an essential part of good physical, mental and spiritual health.
| 1995. When US Forces quit Bermuda, the former base hospital, by then demoted to a dispensary and Base Clinic, was abandoned. |
Last Updated:
November 7, 2009
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